Recent trends in computing have led to the need for better information sharing between computing devices in a home network. The first of these trends is the extensive proliferation of Internet-based services that are available for consumers, including webmail, photo sharing, social networking, online auctioning, and even replacements for traditional desktop applications (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.). While there are various benefits to using Internet-based services, including low cost, ease of installation and maintenance, and portability across multiple devices, these Internet-based services also suffer from various limitations. For example, a user of an Internet-based service may be unable to access his data due to various factors, such as server unavailability and/or account lockout. As another example, a user of an Internet-based service may encounter various privacy issues, such as lesser privacy protection under the law, weak web security systems, and/or client software that has complete access to all of the user's file system. As yet another example, a user of an Internet-based service may be subjected to data lock-in and third-party control. Many of these limitations may be overcome by storing the user's data in the home as opposed to the cloud.
The second of these trends is proliferation of post-PC computing devices in the home. Examples of these post-PC computing devices may include smart phones, smart thermostats, set-top boxes, netbooks, tablets, and digital picture frames. Many of these post-PC devices are based on closed platforms that largely inhibit interoperability. While some current file sharing protocols exist that may facilitate interoperability between these and other computing devices, including network file protocols and server-based protocols (e.g., File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or a Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV)), these current file sharing protocols have significant limitations. For instance, network file protocols require synchronization of three separate levels of security—one for each computing device and one for the network file protocol itself—which is typically not practical in a home network. Further, network file protocols that enable file sharing between computing devices based on different closed platforms may be unavailable or out-of-date depending on the relationship between the developers of those closed platforms. Further yet, server-based protocols require a user to setup and manage servers and also fail to integrate the remote files with the user's local files such that they appear as part of the user's file system.
Accordingly, a protocol that facilitates seamless, secure information sharing between computing devices via a home network, as well as remote devices via the Internet, is desirable.